Art & Architecture / Gems & Precious Stones

BERQUEN, Robert de. Les merveilles des Indes Orientales et Occidentales, ou Nouveau traitté des pierres precieuses & perles, ...
Paris, Christophe Lambin, 1661. 4to. With an engraved portrait of Anne Marie Louise d'Orleans facing the dedication. Contemporary gold-tooled, tanned sheepskin, gold-tooled sides. [12], 112 pp. Full description

[BINDING - BOOK-SHAPED BOX - QUEEN ANNE]. [Gold and tortoise shell book-shaped box made for Queen Anne of Great Britain].
[Portugal?], [ca. 1702?]. Ca. 15.5 x 12 x 5.5 cm.
With: (2) [JEWELLED BINDING - FRENCH PRAYER BOOK]. La journée du chrétien, sanctifiée par la prière et la méditation.
Lyon and Paris, Librairie Catholique de Perisse frères, 1844.16mo. Binding: ca. 11 x 7 x 2.5 cm. With a small printer's device on the title page. 17th-century elaborately jewelled and decorated gilt silver binding with a gilt silver imperial double-headed eagle and two hands holding a heart centre piece, below Jesus on the cross (with an added skull and bones at the foot of the cross) and ornamental gilt silver corner pieces connected to the gilt silver board edge fittings on both boards. The whole is set with numerous jewels (amethysts, garnets, turquoise, and (simulated) sapphires). With two jewelled clasps closing on pegs in the fore edge of the front board, gilt edges, red velvet paste-downs and blue silk flyleaves backed with paper.
Early 18th-century, possibly Portuguese, tortoise shell box, with elaborate gold filigree rococo decorations: birds and foliage within a floral frame on the front and back "boards" with gold filigree decorated fastenings around the "fore edge", complete with: 2 catch plates, 2 anchor plates and 2 clasps. The "spine" is divided into 4 compartments, separated by gold filigree decorative horizontal strips, with a gold engraved plaque in the 2nd compartment reading in a banner "BY ME KINGS REIGNE" and below "ANNE [a crown] REGINA" and a filigree basket of flowers in the 1st, 3rd and 4th compartments. The edges are embossed and covered in fine gold foil. The inside of the box is covered in red velvet and the front "board" is, once the box is open, connected to the outer corners of the "fore edge" by fine gold chains. Ad 2: VIII, 524, [5], [3 blank] pp. Full description

BOODT, Anselm Boetius de. Gemmarum et lapidum historia, qua non solum ortus, natura, vis & precium, sed etiam modus quo ex iis, olea, salia tincturae, essentiae, arcana & magisteria arte chymica confici possint, ostenditur.
Hanau, Claude de Marne and heirs of Johann Aubry (printed by the heirs of Andreas Wechel), 1609. 4to. With Wechel's elaborate woodcut device on the title-page and the otherwise blank final page, 34 woodcut illustrations in the text (some with multiple figures), and 2 folding letterpress hierarchical tables. Contemporary sheepskin parchment. 8, [8], “288” [= 284], [16] pp. plus 2 folding ll. Full description

GORLAEUS, Abraham. Dactyliotheca, seu annulorum sigillarium quorum apud Priscos tam Graecos quam Romanos usus, ex ferro, aere, argento & auro promptuarii ... collectis aliunde & ineditis & editis annulorum figuris auctior; cum explicationibus Jacobi Gronovii.
Leiden, Petrus van de Aa, 1695. 2 volumes. 4to. With 2 different engraved allegorical title-pages (reflecting the themes of rings and intaglio-carved gems), 2 letterpress title-pages in red and black with one of Van der Aas engraved allegorical devices (Minerva/Athena, books, a cock and Hercules/Heracles, with motto "studio et vigilantia"), a portrait of the author by Jacques de Gheyn with a calligraphic verse by Hugo de Groot below, 138 engraved plates: 196 numbered illustrations of ancient rings with carved gems shown at actual size on 101 engraved plates, and 148 numbered illustrations of carved gems alone on 37 engraved plates). Contemporary limp vellum, manuscript title on spine. [22], 28, [16], 16 pp. plus 109 plates; 64, 32 pp. plus 173 plates. Full description

[JEWELRY MODELS]. [Album with hand-drawn jewelry models].
[Paris?], in or soon after 1872. Oblong (17.5 x 28 cm). With 101 very neat drawings in ink, some hand-coloured (blue and yellow). Half morocco, "album" in gold on front cover. 52 ll. Full description

JOSEPH I, King of Portugal Eu Elrey. Faço saber aos que este alvará virem, que por parte de Augusto Ludevico Thimne, de naçaõ alemãa, assistente na cidade do Porto, me foi representado, que havia descuberto o segredo de fabricar as folhetas para a cravaçaõ dos diamantes.
Ajuda (district of Lisbon), Palacio de Nossa Senhora ("reprinted by Miguel Rodrigues"), 22 August 1766. Folio. Disbound, folded. pp. 199-201, [blank 202]. Full description

KORNMANN, Heinrich. Sibylla trig-Andriana, seu virginitate, virginum statu et jure tractatus novus et jucundus ...
Including:
-De Annulo triplici: usitato, sponsalitio, signatorio: ...
-Linea amoris sive commentarius in versiculum glossae, ...
The Hague, Adriaan Vlacq, 1654.
With: (2) BOETHIUS. De consolatione philosophiae, libri v. ex vetustissimis libris a Th. Pulmannus.
Leiden, Officina Plantiniana, Franciscus Raphelengius, 1590. With Plantin's woodcut compasses device on title-page. 2 editions in 1 volume (the first in 3 parts). 12mo. 17th-century overlapping sheepskin parchment. [24], 214; 69, [3]; 117, [3]; 144 pp. Full description

MIERIS, Frans van. Histori der Nederlandsche vorsten, uit de huizen van Beijere, Borgonje, en Oostenryk; welken, sedert de regeering van Albert, Graaf van Holland, tot den dood van Keizer Karel den Vyfden, het hooggezag aldaar gevoerd hebben.
The Hague, Pieter de Hondt, 1732-1735. 3 volumes. Large folio (41 x 26.5 cm). With an engraved dedication page by Jan Wandelaar, a number of engraved vignettes and ca. 1000 engraved reproductions of both sides of coins and medals. Volume 1 with 2 letterpress folding genealogical tables. Lacking the frontispiece by Bernard Picart. Modern red half morocco. [32], 466, [107]; [8], 484, 56; [4], 446, [58] pp. Full description

[PORTLAND MUSEUM]. [LIGHTFOOT, John]. A catalogue of the Portland Museum lately the property of the Duchess Dowager of Portland, deceased: which will be sold by auction ...
With: (2) A catalogue of a very valuable collection of cameos, intaglios, and precious stones, and other curiosities; being part of a late much celebrated cabinet, many out of the Arundel collection; which will be sold by auction ...
[London, Skinner and Co., 1786]. 2 works in 1 volume. 4to. With full-page engraved frontispiece showing the interior of the Portland Museum with numerous objects from its collection. Contemporary gold-tooled vellum. VIII, "194" [= 192]; 6 pp. Full description

[ROSNEL, Pierre de]. Le mercure indien, ou, Le tresor des Indes.
Paris, Robert Chevillon, 1667. Small 8vo. With an engraved coat of arms on the title-pages. Later vellum. [16], 64; [16], 176 pp. Full description